Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) and the AFOSR Physical Sciences Team

The Air Force YIP supports scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in the last five years and show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. The objective of this program is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators; and increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering. \\ \\ Individual awards will be made to U.S. institutions of higher education, industrial laboratories or non-profit research organizations where the principal investigator is a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident; employed on a full-time basis and hold a regular position. Researchers working at the Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and DoD Laboratories will not be considered for the YIP competition. Each award will be funded at the \$150K level for three years. Exceptional proposals will be considered individually for higher funding levels and longer duration. \\ \\ The Physical Sciences Team leads the discovery and transition of foundational physical science to enable air, space, and cyber power. Research in physics generates the fundamental knowledge needed to advance U. S. Air Force operations, from the perspective of sensing, characterizing, and managing the operational environment as well as developing advanced devices that exploit novel physical principles to bring new capabilities to the warfighter. Research directions are categorized in the following four broad areas, with the focus on advancing our basic understanding of the physical world: (1) quantum matter and devices; (2) plasma and high-energy density physics; (3) optics, photonics and electromagnetics; and (4) aerospace materials.